Karua won’t take pay after December

Mombasa
Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua has vowed that she won’t accept any salary after December 2012 if Parliament will not have been dissolved to pave the way for polls.

Speaking in Mombasa during a Diva’s Tea Afternoon at the weekend, the Gichugu MP said any salary after December would be illegal, according to the Constitution.

She reiterated her call to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to dissolve Parliament in October to allow for a December 2012 General Election.

“The elections have always been (held) after five years. So what is the difference this time that we have to extend to the sixth year? If Parliament is not dissolved by December, any salary accorded to an MP thereafter will not be legal, and since I don’t like what is illegal, I am not going to accept it,” she said.

She called on leaders to lead by example in respecting the Constitution to prevent a repeat of a trend where individuals bend the law to achieve their selfish interests.

Directing her comment to the National Council of Churches of Kenya that has asked leaders to respect the decision of the electoral commission on polls date, Ms Karua said that the Constitution allowed Kenyans to correct even independent institutions where they go wrong.

“If we let a few individuals disregard the Constitution right now without correcting them, then future leaders will do the same and our Constitution will end up being like the previous one,” she said.

She advised Kenyans to select their representatives carefully to prevent selfish individuals from taking over the counties and the country as a whole.

“Look out closely for those whose actions do not tally with their words for land grabbers will always be grabbers and the corrupt will remain corrupt.”

She reiterated that she would not drop her presidential bid and encouraged women to vie for seats other than the women representative in order to reach the one third representation in Parliament. (READ: Kenya polls body sets March elections date)